“You can’t save her, Don,” my next-door neighbor said, over and over, in my ear. “You can’t save her.”
“Fuck!”
I startled awake and looked around my darkened bedroom, sweat rolling down my temple. My heart thumped wildly in my chest as I fought to control my breathing. Slowly, reality dawned on me, and I recognized the bedroom in my own home.
Not my parents’ old house.
I kicked the sheets away from my body before sitting up. I sat on the side of my bed with my elbows pressed into my knees. My hands found their way into my hair as I tried to shake off the dream.
“You can’t save her.”
Those four hideous words echoed in my brain, and I curled my fingers into my skull to push the words out of my mind.
The nightmares had become more frequent since the night of Corey’s accident. Both incidents had reminded me I’d failed the people in my life when they’d needed me the most. First my mom and then my best friend.
“Shit,” I cursed again, hoping that verbally letting out my frustration would diminish the heaviness in my chest.
It didn’t work.
I started for the kitchen, but not before grabbing my cell phone from the nightstand. I downed an entire bottle of water and tossed it into my nearly empty trashcan before pulling up Corey’s number on my phone.
I strolled over to the large window in my living room and looked out into the night sky at the same time his voicemail kicked on.
“You’re a real pain in the ass, you know that?” I gritted through my teeth. “I know you’ve been getting my messages. Your mailbox would’ve been full by now from all the messages I’ve left the past six months.”
My voice vibrated with anger I could barely restrain.
I wasn’t angry at him, though. I was more pissed with myself for letting him down. It fucked with me that I hadn’t seen him since that night. Or talked to him.
I sighed. “Everyone at the Four misses you. They still prefer your coffee over mine. The pranks on the rookies aren’t as good without you around, either. I do what I can, but Carter and Emanuel are poor substitutes for you as my right hand when it comes to the jokes.” My stomach muscles tightened. “I’m still looking for whoever did this, Corey. Headquarters believes it was an accident. Faulty construction. It’s bullshit. I know it is. Call me back.”
I hung up, tossed the phone onto my couch, and turned back to the window. I didn’t have curtains; there weren’t any other buildings on this side of my condo. However, there was a clear view of the south side of Williamsport.
As I stared, I tried to recall all the events from the night Corey lost his leg. Had there been anyone suspicious in the surrounding area? Not that I remembered, but after he’d gotten injured, my entire focus had gone to getting him out alive and to the nearest hospital.
I needed to get my hands on the 911 call that had sent us on that call, but it had been tied up in red tape for months.
The replaying of the memories from that night did little to ease my tension as I ran my hand through my hair. I turned away from the window. Knowing sleep was going to be impossible for the rest of the night, I plucked my remote from the wooden coffee table and turned on my flatscreen.
I plopped down onto my leather sofa before picking up controller to my Xbox game console. I turned on my favorite game when I was in this mood: Street Fighter.
Releasing a breath, I saw that one of my favorite companion players was also online, playing. I sent a message to DeniseGamerChick.
I typed to DeniseGamerChick.WFDPlayer04: Someone’s up late.
DeniseGamerChick: Someone’s in my business.
I smirked at her hasty reply.
WFDPlayer04: Touchy. What’s the matter? Your date didn’t end well?
DeniseGamerChick: Now, you’re really in my business. But if you must know, it did, actually.
My heart knocked against my chest.
WFDPlayer04:It couldn’t have gone too well if you’re up in the middle of the night playing video games.
I started to tell her that if a date ended well with me, she’d be fast asleep at this time of night from all the things I would’ve done to her. That would’ve been ridiculous, though. I didn’t even know this woman.
